High school bowling: Fairport bests 12-team field in Skipper Challenge

The Fairport bowling team has dreams of a state championship this season.

If the Skippers were looking for some momentum and adrenaline to help them in their drive for alley glory, they got it on Monday.

Led by all-tournament team member Jordan Johnson, Fairport defeated Olmsted Falls' Gold team, 164-142, in the third game of a best-of-three Baker game series at Wickliffe Lanes to win the 12-team Skipper Challenge.

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Coach Jerry Rich's team came from the smallest school among the 12-team field. But when a state championship is the goal, checking school enrollment is the last thing on the Skippers' mind.

This team has a plan and it is sticking to it.

"We're trying to win states," junior Casey Cohagan said. "This is the best team we've ever had. We should make it to states."

Fairport navigated through the early rounds, which included two regular games and six Baker games to emerge as the top-seeded team when the 12-team field was cut to an eight-team bracket for the finals.

Baker games are different than regular games in that teams combine for one score. For instance, in Fairport's case, Jake Morenz rolled the first frame, Nathan Vale rolled the second frame, followed by Cohagan, Johnson and Cody Zalar.

After accumulating more pins than any other team in the preliminary rounds, with 2,841 pins, Fairport defeated eighth-seed Brush (237-161, 229-209) and fourth-seeded Austintown-Fitch (175-135, 203-198) to reach the finals. There they met third-seeded Olmsted Falls' Gold team, which defeated North Olmsted and second-seeded Sandusky Perkins to reach the final.

The Skippers had a rough start in the final. Not only did they lose the first game to Olmsted Falls, but the first two frames of Game 2 featured splits the Skippers didn't pick up.

"Our kids don't worry about that too much," Rich said of the slow start. "You've got to move on to the next shot."

Fairport got the window of opportunity it was looking for when Olmsted Falls opened in the ninth frame. That, along with Zalar's strike-strike-nine in the 10th frame, forced a decisive third game.

Again, Olmsted Falls took an early lead and led with four frames to go. But an open frame by Olmsted Falls in the eighth frame was compounded by a nail-biting strike by Cohahan in which the 6 and 7 pins wobbled gingerly before falling over.

"I thought I had just lost the tournament for my team," Cohagan said of his thoughts before the final pins fell. "I thought it was all my fault.

"I just threw a horrible shot that I got lucky on."

A strike by Johnson clinched the victory, after which the Skippers high-fived and hugged each other while Olmsted Falls rolled its last frame that was rendered a moot point by Fairport's late run.

"We have a great mental game compared to what we had two years ago," Cohagan said. "It's better to have a good mental state than to be good."

Brush coach Scott Palvuscsak came away pleased with his team's performance despite being ousted by Fairport in the first round of bracket play. His six-person roster on Monday featured one senior, and was led in scoring by sophomore Trenton Miller and junior Austin Brizee.

The Arcs are 11-2 in matches this year, and the expectation is for the team to be in contention for a district berth at the upcoming sectional tournament.

"When (Fairport) goes 239, 229 in Bakers, you just tip your hat to them, walk away and be happy with your day," Palvuscsak said. "We're becoming a good team, and I'm proud of them."

South finished ninth in the preliminary rounds, one spot away from the final bracket of eight. Mentor was 11th in the preliminaries.

Bowlers from all 12 schools were greeted by a more difficult lane condition. The lanes were oiled for a "Sports Shot" level, which is the same level the bowlers will face at the postseason tournament sites and any other major event in which they take part.

"Sometimes perspective is lost when the scores get lower," Rich said of the challenging conditions. "We had a rough start, but we did bounce back nicely, got our perspective (back) and started bowling like we bowled."

The smiles on the faces of Fairport bowlers afterward suggest the mental adjustment was well worth it.

"Just the fact the first (Skipper Challenge) tournament is ours and we took it means everything," Cohagan said.

At least until the Skippers get their crack at the state championship they're working toward.